Close To You
by Cygrus
Summary: The new world was, to other countries, amazing. But what truly amazed Netherlands was the boy who came with the lands.


**A quick little oneshot to pass the time. Well, I say quick, but it took quite a while. Haha...**

**Anyways, I've had this thing for daddy!Netherlands lately. It's too cute to resist! And with my headcanon of him and baby America, this blossomed. Oop.**

**_Word Count:_ 2,544**

**Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>It was strange and different, that place. Grassy fields and multiple forests, wild creatures running free to and fro. Lakes to ponds, rivers to creeks, it was all so refreshing.<p>

It was the new world.

And with that new world, came a small boy. He possessed sandy blond hair and large, sweet blue eyes. He had tiny hands, but they held a brute strength. That boy didn't realize it, of course, but as he got older, it would become rather evident. He would face hardships, very many actually. That was what Netherlands first noticed of this child. An amazing thing that could crumble in a mere moment if not handled with the utmost care and compassion.

When him and his countrymen had traveled to the new world, he hadn't expected to find that boy. That boy who giggled happily and tumbled through the grass. That boy who would lay on his back and watch the clouds with an amazed look. That boy who seemed to know how to communicate perfectly with the animals of the land.

That boy with no family.

Netherlands would observe him from a distance, mesmerized at how simple and carefree he appeared. He could tell that the boy was one of his kind, a nation. The pure innocence that engulfed the little nation was incredible. But the only thing the older nation could think _'Someday he will be crushed.'_

Now, he didn't want to think like this. He hated these thoughts, actually. Remembering the feelings of bliss that he had owned when he was born into this cruel world were truly great, but they were lost so quickly. As much as he wished for it to not be, the same would happen to this boy. And thus, feelings were born. Feelings of wanting to protect this boy. To hold him close and teach him of the evils of the planet. Wanting to keep him safe, wanting to keep that sweet face around for a long time to come.

Of course though, this was easier said than done.

Every time Netherlands approached, the boy would flee in terror. He wouldn't let it show, but it did actually pain the man. He just wanted the best for the boy, but he guessed a challenge would be nice too. That's when he decided to start tempting the boy with anything he could muster up, from food to little toy trinkets. But every time the boy became interested and came closer, he would catch Netherlands' eye and quickly take off. Each time it happened, Netherlands would sigh in regret, then go back to his temporary home to rest and think on it.

_'I must be terrible with kids,' _Netherlands thought to himself, watching his reflection in the clear blue waters of the lake. He sat by it in the grass, watching as birds flew above his head and chirped. It was lovely, honestly. He rather liked it in this place. The only thing that would make it better was being able to talk about it with that child. With a huff, he took a handful of water and splashed it over his face, enjoying the coolness that came with it. The air was rather warm that day and he was in desperate need of a breather.

He and other countries had been arguing over the new land, unfortunately. It was a shame, really, and managed to stress him out. Combine that stress with the stress of trying to become close to the boy, he felt like a complete mess. Not to mention his, at times, annoying countrymen. He was used to them, though.

When he heard another splashing noise, his heart jumped and turned his head to the one who made it, ready to tell them off, but paused. That boy was there, watching him with a wet face. They held eye contact for a minute before Netherlands made a move to scoop up more water. From the corner of his eye, he saw the boy imitate his actions, even when he splashed the water onto his face. All in all, it was cute and endearing. He sat back and turned to face the boy, a calming smile on his face. He then reached out a hand, which the boy flinched at.

"I'm not bad," Netherlands told him reassuringly. "I won't hurt you. You can trust me." The boy stared at the offered hand, then slowly began to make his way over. The skeptical look he had was clear, but when he slipped his small hand into the larger one and strong fingers were gently wrapped around it, all of his nervous feelings washed away. He looked up at the man with a bright grin on his face and moved closer.

"You're not scary!" he chirped. Netherlands chuckled a little.

"Am I not? That's good." He inhaled and looked at the sky. "Are these your lands?"

"Yeah. They're big, huh?" The boy followed his gaze. "I like them."

"A lot of people do," Netherlands mumbled.

"What?"

"It's nothing. Now, what's your name?" The boy remained quiet for a moment.

"I don't think I have a name."

"Do you not?" Netherlands pursed his lips in thought, looking from the confused child to his surroundings. The name that popped into his head seemed perfect for the boy, for some unexplainable reason. "Alfred."

"Alfred?"

"Yes. That's your name." The boy pondered this before letting out a pleased giggle.

"I like it!" Alfred tugged on the other nation's hand. "What's your name, mister?"

"My name?" Alfred nodded. He paused and thought, trying to think of a good name for himself. A good deal of the other nations had already given themselves human names, but he hadn't really bothered with his yet. "You can call me Lars Cloett."

"That's a weird name."

"I know."

After their exchange, Alfred pulled on Lars' hand again, requesting he stand up. The other did so, a bit confused by the sudden enthusiasm. Alfred let go of his hand and began to scamper off, only pausing when he noticed that Lars wasn't following. He motioned for him to follow. Lars smiled and did so, listening as Alfred chattered and pointed out the different fauna and flora as they went on. But it wasn't long before his tiny legs became tired and he had to slow down.

"Do you want to take a break?" Lars questioned, looking down at him. He shook his head.

"There's a lot of things you should see!" he exclaimed, though he was obviously worn out. With a small upturn of the lips, Lars crouched down and swooped the boy into his arms, earning a surprised yelp from the other. He then proceeded to place him onto his shoulders. Alfred laughed with glee and nuzzled his face into Lars' hair.

"Is this better?"

"Yeah! It's great!" Alfred remained quiet for a moment. "Your hair is weird."

"I know."

The days that followed were, to Lars, amazing. Alfred was a sweet child, full of eagerness and was bound for glory. He was strong enough to face his future hardships, that was for sure. The two would spend their days playing with each other, which often consisted of Lars lifting Alfred into the air and spinning him around until they were both dizzy, or just simply talking. Alfred had a keen interest in what Lars had to say about his country. Of course, the older one left out the gory details, such as those pertaining to how he gained his scar. He couldn't tell such horrible things to a child, especially one who held his innocence still. And when the day was done, Lars would carry Alfred back to his home and allow him to sleep there, seeing that the wilderness wasn't a proper place for a child to slumber at all.

As the new world began to blossom, the other countries were becoming more and more greedy with it. Lars didn't mind though. He was just happy that he was still the only one who knew about Alfred. Since the two had become so close, he wouldn't want any of the others getting near the boy. And the fact that Alfred loved being around Lars made everything even better.

Lars held a great affection for Alfred. Something fatherly. This affection was something that Lars didn't want to disappear. He loved the way Alfred would squeal and giggle, the way he would call his name and hold onto his hand. The way he would curl up next to the man and sleep. He even loved how the child could barely ever stop talking. He loved this child like he was his own, and Alfred returned the feelings.

One day was crushing for the man, though. He had been on his way to see Alfred, who had the left the house while he was still sleeping. It was the day he would have to inform Alfred that he was leaving to go home and that they wouldn't be seeing each other for a long time to come. He had a quick stride, wanting to get to the boy quickly so they could spend as much time as possible together that day. What he didn't expect was to come across his fellow nations. What they said was practically heartbreaking though.

_"I just hope that mean and scary Netherlands hasn't gotten hold of him yet."_

_"He could by my little brother!"_

_"No, he's my little brother!"_

He didn't listen for long before rushing off to see Alfred that one last time. He had to see him. Even if their conversation was short, it was so important to him.

"Lars! You found me!" Lars panted, holding his gift to Alfred close to his chest. Alfred smiled up at him, but frowned when he saw the distress in Lars' features. Alfred wasn't used to seeing the man sad. "Are you okay?"

"Alfred..." Lars sighed and got on his knees in front of the boy. "You won't be seeing me after today." Alfred's eyes widened, caught off guard by the statement.

"But why?" he asked, placing his small hands on Lars' knee. "Why?"

"I'm going back home."

"But I don't want you to!" Alfred choked out, blubbering a bit as tears began to fill his eyes. He shook a little, making himself look as small and delicate as he actually was. It broke Lars' heart. He reached out a hand and wiped the tears away.

"I don't want to leave you either, Alfred," he spoke. "But it's not my choice." He watched the boy sob for a minute before squeezing his hand. "I have a gift for you to remember me by."

"Really?" Lars lifted Alfred's chin up with his finger.

"I'll only give you the gift if you can smile for me again." The boy tried with all he could, but was only able to when Lars began to tickle his weak spots. He let out peels of laughter, falling over onto his back and holding his stomach. Lars stopped after a few minutes, letting Alfred regain his breath. When his breath finally caught up to him, he looked expectantly to Lars. The man smiled, then told Alfred to close his eyes, which he happily obliged to. The next thing he knew, something warm and furry was placed into his arms. He opened his eyes, then squealed in delight.

"It's a rabbit!" he chimed, bouncing up and down. "It's a rabbit! Is it mine? Thank you!" Lars chuckled at him.

"Yes, it's yours. My country has a great love for rabbits, so I thought you may like it too."

"I do, I do!" He quickly set the rabbit down, made sure it would stay, before jumping and wrapping his arms around Lars' neck. "Thank you!"

"Of course."

They remained like that for a while, neither wanting to let the other go. They had grown so attached to each other that they just couldn't stand to part. It was painful to both of them, but they had to. That feeling of love that Lars had gained for the boy would not be replaced. He realized this as he held Alfred in his gentle embrace, a hold that he hadn't given to anyone else in as long as he could remember. He loved this boy. He truly did.

"I have to go now. Some people are coming to meet you. Treat them kindly, okay?"

"Okay."

"You be a good boy."

"I will. I love you Lars."

"I love you too, Alfred."

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><p>"So, dude! Welcome to my place! Isn't it great?"<p>

"It's nice, I guess."

"Woah, loosen up."

Lars watched as Alfred opened the gate into his yard, remembering fondly back to times long gone. The new world had changed a lot since then. Alfred had changed a lot too. Actually, more than a lot. Lars wasn't entirely sure if he was happy about that or not.

"So, what's your name again? Lars? I think it was Lars," Alfred spoke, flashing a grin at the other nation. Lars sighed and nodded.

"You should remember these things if we're going to be talking about the relations between our countries," he retorted. Alfred threw his hands up in defense.

"Sorry, sorry. I can't help it, I swear," he said. "Now follow me, okay? I'll make us some coffee! You do like coffee, right?"

"Yes, I do." Lars followed Alfred down the pathway, but paused when they passed a withered looking tree. There was a little stone propped up against it, reading _'R.I.P Bunny'_. He stared at it, then called for Alfred to come back. The other man hurried over, questioning what was wrong. "What's this?" Lars asked. Alfred looked to the stone and smiled fondly.

"That's the grave of one of my really old pets. He was from when I was _really _tiny," he told Lars. "It was a rabbit."

"A rabbit?" Lars looked to Alfred, then back to the grave. "Where did you get it from?"

"I don't remember. It was too long ago." Alfred sighed regretfully. "I wish I could remember, though. The person who gave it to me must have been really cool."

"Did you ever get another one?"

"England asked if I wanted another one. But I rejected the offer. Bunny was way too special to be replaced." He paused for a moment. "I think it's because the person who gave me Bunny was really special too."

"Special, huh?" Lars went silent for a minute, letting a certain memory resurface.

_'I love you Lars.'_

He smiled a bit, directing his attention to Alfred. Alfred was watching the sky, his hands stuffed into his pockets. His eyes hadn't changed. They were still that innocent blue. Even after everything Alfred had gone through in his lifetime, they had managed to remain like that. Lars could feel his heart swell with pride. Before he knew what he was doing, he had reached out and ruffled Alfred's hair, surprising the other man.

"What's that for?"

"I'm proud of you."

"What?"

"Weren't you going to make coffee?" Alfred laughed a little.

"Oh yeah! I was! Sorry! I'm on it!" With that, he took off into the house. Lars chuckled and began to follow, musing to himself.

His boy had grown up so well.

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><p><strong>Ahh, I hope this was okay! It kind of sounded like a fairytale at first, huh? Haha, oh well~.<strong>

**You have no idea how torn I was over Ned's name! I love the name Lars for him, so I wanted to use, but it didn't fit the time period. I then considered just using Ned, but I love the name Lars so much that it just...stuck.**

**Ah well.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed!**


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